The One With the Thanksgvings We Loved
by rachgreengeller
Summary: After a car accident, Monica is laid up right before Thanksgiving. With everyone pitching in, she still vows to make this a Thanksgving to remember. Join the gang and their teenage kids as they reminisce about those Thanksgivings we all loved.
1. Chapter 1

The One With the Thanksgivings We Loved

These characters are the property of Bright Kauffman and Crane Productions. Alex is the creation of Bright San Productions...

Thanksgiving was always a special time in Monica's life. That's why it nearly destroyed her when a reckless driver rear ended her car on her way to the city. The doctor had told her she had to stay off her broken leg for at least six weeks. Between her two teenaged children and her husband, they had been taking care of things. Erica would help with the cooking and Jack with the cleaning. The twins were now thirteen years old.

"Dad I can take care of Thanksgiving this year." Erica said as she tossed her blonde hair around. "I've watched Mom."

"It is out of the question, sweetie, you are way too young for that much responsibility." said Chandler. "This house is going to be filled with people."

"Daddy's right. I didn't cook dinner until I was on my own." agreed Monica." "I guess I am going to have to get up sooner than I thought." she said as she got up from the chair. Chandler pushed her back into it. "Not so fast Speedy Gonzales, that doctor told you to stay put for a reason."

"Thanksgiving can't happen without me. I will never hear the end of it from my mother. I get married, become a mother, have a career, and nothing is good enough for that woman. The only way to ever please her is to be the perfect child, and I am not him." yelled Monica.

"Hey everybody." said Ross as him and Rachel came through the kitchen door. Emma came running in as well.

"Speaking of the bad seed." said Chandler.

"Erica, guess who wants to take me to the Christmas dance?" squealed Emma. She was a thin, tall girl who had brownish blonde hair and puppy dog eyes. Even though she was very studious, she was a gorgeous teenager. Emma Geller was the best traits of both her parents, a brain with a body that wouldn't quit. The body part was the part that worried her father the most.

"So Mon, how's the leg." asked Ross.

"It is driving me crazy." she said as she gritted her teeth. "Now I have a Thanksgiving dinner to worry about."

"I've been thinking about that Monica and this year, you can relax, I'll cook it. I watched you make dinner all these years and I think I can do it." Rachel said confidently. At the same time Chandler looked over at Ross with a scared look in his eye.

"Honey, uhm I think that might be something that would be a little bit out of your league." Ross said unsurely.

It's a turkey, potatoes, yams, cranberries, and pumpkin pie. How hard could that be?" Rachel asked.

"Darling I love you, but you can't cook." Ross said as he waited for the explosion.

"Yes I can." she replied.

"Rach, no you can't. There's a reason we always end up with take out." Ross said.

"Dad's right Mom, for my cheerleader bake sale, I always have to buy cookies and take them to school after I throw out yours." answered Emma.

"And after all, Rachel, we all remember what happened the last time you tried to cook for Thanksgiving." added Monica.

"Mom cooked?" said a startled Emma. "Did anyone eat it?"

"Yeah Uncle Joey." added Chandler. "But he'll eat anything."

"What did you make Mom?" asked Emma.

"It was not that bad." screamed Rachel. "Grandma and Grandpa ate it."

"No Mom and Dad hid it in Monica's room." added Ross.

"Dad what was it?"

"It was an English trifle." said Rachel defensively.

"With peas and beef." laughed Ross.

"Why didn't you tell me it was awful?" yelled Rachel.

"Because I wanted to spend Thanksgiving with hot naked girls." yelled Ross. Joey and I were invited by Janine to spend Thanksgiving with her dancer friends who didn't cook and were planning on getting drunk."

"I thought you were trying to save my feelings, and all you and Joey wanted to do was drink with dancer girls." scorned Rachel.

"Yeah you should be ashamed of yourself Daddy." laughed Chandler.

"You were just jealous because you couldn't go." jeered Ross.

"I had my hot woman." smiled Chandler as he put his arm around Monica. Quickly he turned to Jack and said quietly. "But I wanted to."

"That was the first Thanksgiving that your father and I were together. He had moved in right after we got back from Vegas. Aunt Rachel had moved in with Aunt Phoebe, after her divorce that is. giggled Monica.

"Divorce?" asked Erica.

"Yeah Dad and Mom were divorced after they went to Vegas." answered Emma.

"And they got married again?"

"Please that's another story." interrupted Ross.

"Then they got married for a second time?" asked Jack.

"It is after all your Uncle Ross." laughed Chandler.

"Anyway Aunt Monica was cooking dinner. Grandma and Grandpa were coming over and they hadn't told them that they were living together. So we were all told not to tell them because for some odd reason they didn't like Uncle Chandler very well. "explained Ross.

"Tell them why." Chandler demanded.

"Because… I …" Ross stuttered. "I did something that I am not proud of and highly suggest you kids never do. I tried marijuana and blamed it on Uncle Chandler."

"And that was only because your father was too chicken to tell them it was his idea."

"But I did and then that day Aunt Monica and I started yelling things that we didn't want our parents to find out." Ross said as he put his arm around his sister. "Everything turned out and Grandma said she was so glad that Chandler was with Monica."

"But I don't get It." said Erica. "Why didn't anyone tell Aunt Rachel that she made a mistake?"

"Because she tried." Smiled Monica. "And that was the important thing."

"Okay this sounds too much like an after school special, so what do we do about dinner?" Chandler asked.

"Hey everyone, "a voice yelled from the hallway. Phoebe came in the door.

Hope everyone is enjoying my little Thanksgiving story….. More memories are coming as Phoebe decides to help …


	2. The Ones With Underdog and the 80's

Phoebe Buffay Hannigan stood clutching her tapestry bag. With gray showing through her blonde hair, she still had the same free spirit that she had in her twenties. Accompanying her was her lawyer husband Mike. Phoebe ran over and immediately hugged Monica. After that she brought out a bag of crystals.

"They're for healing." she explained. "And I wished bad things on the driver who did this to you."

"Thanks Pheebs, but we have a problem." sighed Monica. "I can't cook this year. We have got my parents, everyone here and Joey and Alex coming for Thanksgiving."

"Phoebe can help, she has become a really great cook." exclaimed Mike.

"I am afraid that I am not as good as Monica." said Phoebe.

"It's either we all pitch in or Rachel cooks Thanksgiving. Rachel sat and sighed. Ross looked at Chandler and Chandler looked at Phoebe.

"We'll all help honey." said Chandler smiling. "Not that Rachel can't do it; it's just that it might be a little bit harder than she thought.

"Sure we can do this. All of

us have at least a little ability when it comes to cooking. After Carol left, I cooked for myself and also when I had a girl come over. Joey cooks a little and so does his wife. Phoebe does also and …"

And I can make my world famous chanberries."added Chandler.

"A monkey could open a can of cranberries." said Ross.

"You would know Monkey Boy."giggled Chandler.

"Just because I can't get out of this chair doesn't mean I can't give instructions. I will direct this Thanksgiving like a maestro directs a symphony and it will be the greatest Thanksgiving ever." said Monica excitedly.

"Oh no, she's getting that look again." Said Chandler as he put his hand to his forehead.

Monica took out a notebook and began to plan her Thanksgiving feast.

"First we are going to need a turkey, then stuffing, then potatoes." she said methodically.

"And we will have many kinds of potatoes." Phoebe said as she grabbed the pencil from Monica's hand. Monica's mind began to wander back in time, to the first Thanksgiving with Rachel back in her life.

"Mom and Dad are going to Puerto Rico so we are going to have to have Thanksgiving here." Ross announced sadly. It had been a bad year with his marriage ending and now Carol was pregnant with his baby and living with her lover Susan.

To complicate matters, Chandler still hated Thanksgiving and she had agreed to make him and un Thanksgiving dinner. This consisted of toasted cheese sandwiches, tomato soup and a bag of fun ions. Phoebe would be coming over as well, since her grandma would celebrate in December. Joey had been hired to be a model, but he was now plastered all over New York as a man who had VD for the health department. His family would not allow him to come home. Rachel had her own plans; she would be flying to Vail to go skiing with her family.

In an effort to make everyone happy, Monica was now making three kinds of potatoes. There were the lumpy ones her brother loved, the mashed potatoes with peas and onions that reminded Phoebe of her mother, and the tater tots that were part of the Tribbiani thanksgiving.

It was supposed to be an uneventful Thanksgiving, until Chandler came into the apartment screaming that Underdog had floated away from the parade route. Excitedly everyone ran to the roof, then Rachel in a hurry to catch her flight, closed the door without unlocking it. Monica now had a ruined dinner and Rachel had missed her flight. The only thing that saved that Thanksgiving was when Phoebe spotted Ugly Naked Guy and he was not alone. They all realized that life wasn't so bad and that there was someone for everyone. Eating their toasted cheese sandwiches, they toasted that first Thanksgiving they would all spend together.

"Earth to Monica." said Chandler snapping Monica out of her reverie.

"Oh I guess I was thinking about the year underdog got away." She said as she had been startled by her husband's voice.

"I remember that year. I went over to Carol's and sang to Ben while he was still in her stomach. Then he moved for the first time. It was so great." sighed Ross.

"And even though I didn't get to go skiing that year, I got to spend Thanksgiving with the greatest group of friends a girl could have." Rachel smiled. "And also with this guy." she shyly kissed Ross.

"So how many Thanksgivings have you guys spent together?" asked Jack.

"Well your father and your Aunt Rachel and Uncle Ross and I have spent many Thanksgivings together. In fact, it was Thanksgiving when I met your father. It was when he was a freshman in college." Monica started.

"Yeah Dad and Uncle Chandler were roommates in college." continued Emma.

"He had the same dreamy blue eyes and this real cool hair cut." Monica sighed.

"And your mother made macaroni and cheese, just for me." Chandler added.

"I've heard this story before. Mom was dating this other guy and Dad was still so in love with her." Emma said.

"And your mother wouldn't have anything to do with me. She thought I was just Monica's geeky older brother who liked dinosaurs. I wanted to impress her with my music so I wrote a song for her." Ross continued. "It was called ..."

"Emotional Knapsack." Smiled Rachel. "But Uncle Chandler said some mean things to Aunt Monica like that she was fat and hurt her feelings. After that though, she dieted and lost the weight for good."

"The next Thanksgiving, your mom looked so hot. She was wearing this dress that hugged every curve on her body. I just wanted to…." Chandler said until he was abruptly stopped.

"She is still my little sister Bing." interrupted Ross. "If I would have known these were the thoughts going through your head…"

"What you would have kicked my ass?" Laughed Chandler. "I think that your sister got even with me for the both of you."

"How did he get even?" said Mike as he was now engrossed in the story

"Did you ever notice how my father never goes barefoot?" said Erica innocently. "That's why."

"I don't understand." said Mike puzzled.

Mom cut off Dad's big toe." said Jack.

"I didn't mean to, I was trying to be sexy and the knife slipped from my hands and went into your father's huarache sandals." Monica said ashamed.

"You mean like Don Johnson in Miami Vice?" laughed Mike.

"Yeah we're not proud of it, but we were trying to be cool." Ross said."We thought that the girls would love it."

"That was a Thanksgiving way before me and Joey. I'm sure that Mike would like to hear about another one. Maybe the year we played football." said Phoebe.


	3. The Saga of the Geller Bowl

Phoebe sat down and started to tear bread for the stuffing. "Yeah I remember the year I played football for the first time and Joey and Chandler struck out with the Swedish chick."

"The Geller bowl." sighed Rachel.

"When I won the game and beat you three losers." bragged Monica.

"Excuse me, no you did not." said Ross.

"Don't get me started on this, I'll get up from this chair and beat your ass Geller."

"Monica, don't even think about it." Chandler started for the chair to restrain Monica from getting up. She was still very competitive and hated to lose. The Geller Bowl was a sore subject from way back.

"The Geller bowl?" asked Erica surprised. "Is that where that ugly thing in the back of Mom's closet came from.?" Ross went over to where Rachel was standing. "You got rid of it That is part of our legacy." Ross exclaimed.

"It was hideous and I do not have ugly things in my house. It's bad enough that we have those damn dinosaurs." Rachel said.

"Those dinosaurs are how I make a living." Ross said defensively. "I can't believe you got rid of that without asking me. You knew how important it was Don't you have any sentiment? "

Rachel started to get angry and picked up a newspaper. "How dare you! Don't even go there Professor Geller." She took it and hit him over the head.

"Owww." he moaned.

"Mom is very sentimental." defended Emma. "She showed me a box of things that she collected from over the years. It had …"

"The eggshell that I used to make her breakfast for the first time, a ticket stub from our first date, and some bone from when we you know in the planetarium." Ross said softly.

"And the pin you gave me for my birthday and the cork from the bottle on that night we talked about Europe." she said defensively. "Actually one Thanksgiving your father and I were having the same fight we are now Em."

"Except we weren't together." Ross said.

"Let me tell the story." screamed Phoebe. Mike looked at her with a scared look on his face and back away. He may have been with Phoebe for a while, but he was still very afraid of some of her weird ways. "Anyway, it was Thanksgving and we were sitting around doing nothing except for Monica and the girls. Those two were lumps on the couch, especially Chandler."

"Hey I was in mourning." Chandler popped up.

"What were you mourning Daddy?" asked Erica.

"He was mourning Janice . " said Monica. "The infamous Janice that he dated and dumped three times."

"At least I didn't have to ask permission to play football." laughed Chandler as he looked at Ross.

"What was that?" asked Jack.

"Well you know how competitive that your mother is? Apparently this football game was a death match when your mom and Uncle Ross were kids. They had promised your Grandmother Geller that they would not play football again. " Chandler tried to explain as he looked through the cabinets for the spices that Monica asked for.

"And your Aunt Monica took her big fat grandma arm and broke my nose." Ross added.

"Will you stop saying that." screamed Monica.

"You're getting away from the story again." screamed Phoebe as she waved her fists. "We started to play with Monica , me and Joey on one side and Ross, Chandler and Rachel on the other side."

"Your father , my boyfriend chose me last." whined Rachel. "And he wouldn't let me touch the ball."

"Then Chandler and Joey started an insane competition over this girl." Phoebe continued.

"Her name was Maha and she was hot. She was just what I needed to forget Janice."Chandler said.

"Uncle Chandler and Uncle Joey, did Uncle Joey win?" asked Jack.

"No Uncle Joey did not win, I did. She picked me over Joey." Said Chandler triumphantly in a mocking voice. "Uncle Joey is not always the one who got the girl."

"I know one girl Joey wanted that he didn't get." Ross said sweetly as he kissed Rachel on the cheek. "But then Maha dumped Chandler for being a dork." He laughed.

"You would know Uncle Ross." Laughed Jack.

"That 's my boy." Smiled Chandler proudly. "And in the middle of this game, they decided to make it boys versus the girls." Phoebe came up to him and gave him a dirty look.

"Look you guys have so many Thanksgiving stories, I have only a few and this is my favorite . So if you don't let me tell it, I will have to pound on you and may I remind both you and Ross I can beat both of you up." Chandler backed away. "Sorry Phoebe." He said softly, obviously afraid of her.

"Before I was interrupted, oh yes then we started to play dirty. Ross pantsed Monica , I pulled up my shirt and flashed Chandler so he would drop the ball."

"Did Mom ever get the ball?" asked Emma.

"Yes I did in fact I caught the winning touchdown." Rachel exclaimed.

"No you didn't , it was out of bounds." Ross argued.

"Do you want to spend the night on the couch, Ross?" Rachel said as she looked at him.

"Well people we have three days to get this dinner in order. We could sure use some more help." Monica said. At that moment, the door opened and in came Ben and his girlfriend, Sandy.

"Mom and Susan are going away this year, so can we spend Thanksgiving with you guys. We'll do anything to help." Ben said earnestly. Ben was now a sophomore in college at Columbia. He didn't want to go to NYU because of his father. Sandy was a theatre major at Columbia as well. Ben had sandy blonde hair and he was also tall. He was majoring in psychology with plans to go on to medical school to be a psychologist.

"So when is the Christmas dance?" asked Erica.

"December first, so they could have it early. I am so excited to go and Mom said that we could go shopping for my dress." Emma said excitedly.

"That's funny because Mom didn't say anything to Dad about this?" Ross said with his arms crossed.

"Come on Dad, give Emma a break." Ben said with his arm around Sandy.

"Yeah Daddy , I 'm fourteen." She begged. "And Jason is fifteen."

"Then you're definitely not going." Ross said. Rachel followed her husband out of the kitchen as she stirred the egg mixture. "And give me one good reason why our daughter can't go to her first formal dance?"

"Because Jason is fifteen and I know what is on the minds of fifteen year old boys. Fifteen is when I sat in typing class and saw you sitting there in that red cheerleading sweater. All I wanted to do was see what was under that sweater." Ross explained.

"You knew this day was coming. Now I have waited for the day that our daughter would go to her first dance. I am taking her shopping and she is going to her dance." Rachel said as she stirred the bowl. "There now it's ready." She smiled.

"What is it?" Monica asked from her chair.

"I didn't want to say anything, but it is dessert. It's a trifle." Rachel said excitedly. "You people think that I can't cook. And that includes my own husband and child. So I am going to make another trifle and this time it is going to be perfect. I'll show you all." She declared.

Thanksgving memories continue as Chandler tells the story of why he hates Thanksgiving and the twins hear about the best Thanksgiving of their mother and father 's lives.


	4. The Bing's Best Thanksgiving

Everyone just stood and stared at Rachel. Ross and Chandler had a look of fear on their face. "Honey you don't have anything to prove." Monica said , hoping that Rachel wouldn't continue.

"I am getting sick of being reminded of that terrible Thanksgiving . My own child won't eat anything I make. I have had to watch Monica make dinner for all these holidays . I want people to say , boy Rachel's dessert was the best part of this Thanksgiving. People will remember this Thanksgiving as the one with Rachel's trifle."

Everyone then looked at Rachel and Ross went over and put his arm around her and kissed her on the cheek. "Then we'll go get the cookbook, make sure the pages aren't together and we'll make that trifle." Rachel smiled. "You bet we will Rachel." Said Ben.

"Well it looks like Thanksgiving is going to go on as planned after all." Smiled Chandler.

"Yeah Mr. I hate Thanksgiving." Said Monica.

Erica and Jack were curious. "Dad why do you hate Thanksgving? It sounds like you have a lot of great memories of that day."

"Well I was going to wait until Joey got here, because I haven't told it since you were babies. The main reason is that everyone got tired of hearing it. It used to be a regular part of Thanksgiving."

"Why don't you tell them about the best Thanksgiving ever instead?" said Monica.

Chandler started." Well your cousin Emma was one and your mother and I had been trying to have a baby. The doctor had told us that we wouldn't be able to have one the normal way, so we were in the process of trying to adopt.

Monica was making the dinner like she always did and that was the first year I made my world famous chanberries. Uncle Joey and Uncle Ross decided to go to a hockey game and then Aunt Phoebe and Aunt

Rachel entered Emma in a baby beauty contest."

"Mom why did you do that?" declared Emma. "Did you know about this?" she asked her father.

"You won first prize." Rachel said.

"And then everyone was late. Your mother was so angry that she locked everyone out of the apartment." Chandler continued.

"Yeah we couldn't get in the door. All we could get in it was just our heads." Said Phoebe.

"Then Uncle Joey got his head stuck in the door and we had to get him lose with gravy. It would have left a mess, but Uncle Joey licked it up."said Ross.

"But do you know what was the best part was ?" said Monica

"What mom?" asked Jack.

"That was the day that we found out we were getting a baby. And we got the biggest surprise of our lives when instead of one baby, we got two." she smiled.

"Somehow that sounds like Uncle Joey." Said Jack.

"Hey I learned a lot about women from Uncle Joey." Defended Ben.

"Who do you think I learned the most from?"

"Your mother." Said Jack.

"He's your kid Bing. Jack , I am sure that Ben learned a lot from his father . said Ross.

"Yeah he learned not to marry a lesbian, say the right name , and then that condoms are ninety seven per cent effective. " Chandler chimed in.

Monica got on her crutches and hobbled to the kitchen. She smiled when she realized all the love that was around her. She may not have been able to make dinner, but her friends, her children, and her family were all working together to make this a great thanksgiving. She would show her mother.

Phoebe was busily mashing the potatoes, Mike was peeling the yams, Erica was grating the cheese for her father's macaroni and cheese. Sandy was cleaning the turkey and removing the insides as well as putting together a tofu turkey for Phoebe. Rachel was slicing the bananas, Ross was stirring the custard to make sure it wouldn't over boil, and Ben was rolling the crust out for the pies.

"So all my little elves are making dinner." Monica smiled.

"I told you everything would work out." Said Chandler as he kissed Monica.

"Hey everybody How you doin?" said a voice from the hallway.

Joey tells the kids about Chandler being unfaithful and Monica tells Emma about her father's last days at the museum.


	5. Joey's Thanksgiviing Memories

"Joey!" Monica screamed as she hobbled over on her crutches. The Italian actor entered the room with his arm around his wife, Alex. They were both very tanned. Monica threw her arms around Joey and then Alex. "Happy Thanksgiving Alex."

"Hey everyone is hard at work. Are you bossing everyone around so you can take it easy this year?" said Joey. Monica sighed. "No. I was in an accident and the doctor said I couldn't cook this year, so everyone is pitching in for Thanksgiving this year." Joey wandered over to the stove. "Rachel, you're cooking?" Rachel excitedly turned around and squealed "Joey!" Joey looked in the pan and smelt it. What is it? It's smells delicious ."

"It's custard for my trifle ." said Rachel proudly."And this time , it is going to be perfect.

After all the welcomes and hugs, Monica decided that everyone could take a break. With much protest, Chandler made Monica sit in her chair and everyone gathered around her. Joey told everyone that he was now getting his own series and that Alex was his manager. This was exciting, but the kids wanted to hear more Thanksgiving stories.

"Well did you hear about the Thanksgiving that your father spent in a box?" asked Joey to the kids.

"He did what ?" asked Jack .

"He made the mistake of kissing my girlfriend, Kathy. I was so mad at him , we almost broke up."

"It's true, Joey was going to move out." Added Chandler. "I didn't want to lose my best friend, so I told me that when he was locked in the entertainment center he had time to think."

"So I told Chandler he could prove his loyalty by getting in a huge crate so he could think about what he did."

"And Aunt Monica had a date that year as well. She was dating her former boyfriend's son." Added Ross.

"Like that wasn't the weirdest thing that happened at Thanksgivng? You guys have had some pretty weird guests through the years." Phoebe spoke up. "I remember the year that Rachel's sister showed up and you guys got into a catfight. Then there was the year that the hot guy showed up and hated Rachel."

"The I hate Rachel club." Shuddered Rachel. "and your father was the co founder ." she whispered to Emma.

"I heard that!" said Ross as she turned away. "I told you I was young and stupid and did stupid things."

"You are old and still do stupid things." Argued Rachel. "You made that stupid list at Thanksgving.

"And you lost your job at the museum because of a turkey sandwich." Laughed Monica.

"With Daddy's temper, I can see it." Nodded Emma.

"That is not the full story. I wil have you know that was a very hard year for me. Emily had just divorced me, I had no where to live . That sandwich was the only thing that I had to look forward to." Ross defended.

"You lost a job because of a sandwich?" asked Alex.

"Someone took my moistmaker." Whined Ross. "it was this great sandwich that had a piece of gravy soaked bread between the two slices and the turkey. My boss grabbed it and ate it. But he threw it away."

"Uncle Ross had to be sedated." Laughed Chandler.

"I would have if I would have known about you and my sister." Said Ross.

"I have to explain,Alex that Monica and Chandler kept their relationship a secret." Joey tried to explain to his wife.

"And why is that?" asked Alex curiously.

"Well it was either things were going so well or someone was a crazy ass psycho at the time and we were scared of what he would think."said Chandler.

"But this is not the time." Said Ross threateningly to Chandler.

"Oh I know the full story. You met her and he said you were fat, you slept together at your best friends wedding, kept it a secret and then you proposed to him. Alex stated as she looked at Monica and Chandler. Then she turned to Ross and Rachel . "You loved her since you were fifteen , she didn't know you existed, you dated he cheated on you with a copy slut, you were getting married and said her name instead of the bride's , you got drunk and got married, had a one night stand where he knocked you up and then after Emma was born, you thought Joey proposed , you were on your way to Paris and he told you how in love he was with you, " Then she turned to Phoebe. "You met him when Joey pretended to fix you up . He was competing with another guy for you and you flew all the way to Barbados to tell you still loved him." I know all your stories, Joey told me." Alex exclaimed.

Rachel got up and walked out to the kitchen. She mixed the topping with the rum and then she pulled the trifle out . She held her breath and hoped that it would turn out.

Turkey memories and dinner next.


End file.
